Takeaways from the World Waterpark Association 2022 Conference

David J. Sangree, MAI, CPA, ISHC and Adam Zarczynski, CHIA attended the World Waterpark Association annual conference in Las Vegas, Nevada in October. In addition to presenting at the Waterpark Design, Development, and Expansion Workshop, they enjoyed seeing many familiar faces and meeting new people at the conference. Here are some key highlights from the conference:

• The conference had record attendance, with over 1,500 attendees. This indicated a strong rebound from the pandemic in conference attendance and showed a continued interest in the waterpark industry.
• The WWA awards Leading Edge Awards to individuals or parks for the development of new themes, facilities, programs, services, or operational concepts in water attractions; and to suppliers who have developed new concepts or products that benefit the water attractions industry and their parks and customers. Among the winners were several companies that H&LA has been privileged to work with, including Baha Mar Resorts, Aquatic Development Group, Wild Rivers Waterpark, ProSlide Technology, Water Technology, Inc, CSM Waterworks, and WhiteWater.
• Surfing and surf parks continued to garner significant attention at the conference. With the growing popularity of surf machines and surf parks, investors and developers continue to be interested in this expanding segment. Several properties talked about the rise of nighttime programming at surf parks to help accommodate the growing demand in the evenings from patrons who may enjoy a drink or dinner while watching activity on the surf machine.
• There is still wide-spread concern in the industry regarding the continued increase in wages and staffing issues that have hampered the hospitality and attractions industries over the past two years. These issues don’t seem to be easing as many properties are still grappling with concerns about wage rates and finding enough staff.
• Waterparks are working to better leverage social media to increase their presence on various sites. This strategy includes sharing videos and images on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok to generate interest in the park by advertising what the experience is like. Some parks have achieved this by offering tickets to social media influencers who capture their experience at the park on their personal social media accounts. These videos are garnering thousands, and in some cases, millions of views, resulting in significant advertising exposure in a cost-efficient way.